


Weird is a Relative Term

by Aphina_Cat, westzimtos5



Series: Weird Isn't as Bad as it Seems, if I'm With You [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-09-23 00:43:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9632126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aphina_Cat/pseuds/Aphina_Cat, https://archiveofourown.org/users/westzimtos5/pseuds/westzimtos5
Summary: So I reposted it because it said that this stupid fic was started in 2015 and I mean it was but like how's that gonna look to readers trying to find a good fic to read? Not good. Also I didn't want to go back and delete the comments from chapters not yet rewritten so... I've reposted, nothings changed just getting a fresh start.





	1. [File:The_New_Job.1]

**[Run:File:Reboot:Weird_Is_A_Relative_Term.01]**

Dipper Pines, by all standards, was a totally normal person. Around the age of 6, his parents had died in a car accident, forcing him and his twin sister to move in with their great uncles, or “grunkles” as one of them insisted they call them, in Gravity Falls, Oregon. Gravity Falls was a strange little town. The people there were nice enough, but the woods surrounding it were filled with magic and adventure, a wonderland to the young twins. They grew up in those woods, exploring and studying the magical wildlife present there. It was here that Dipper found his love for the supernatural and unexplained. Battling dragons, befriending manitaurs, attempting (and failing) to teach democracy to a group of pesky gnomes, dealing with annoying unicorns, you know, the usual. 

Well, normal is a relative term. 

 

Fueled by his childhood in those magical woods of Gravity Falls, Dipper went on to pursue Paranormal Investigation and Management. Having real experience in the field, he gathered the attention of all his professors. It was after one eventful lecture that one of them approached him, offering him a position in the US Paranormal Investigation Unit. He immediately agreed. Within a month he was placed in Area 51, which is where this fateful story begins.

The first impression he got of Area 51 was that is was really boring. Entering the building, Dipper was greeted by a discreet secretary at a desk, who asked him for his name. After giving it, he was pointed towards an even more discreet elevator, told to press the button and go down. Feeling a little overwhelmed, he did as he was told. 

The elevator ride down was the most nerve wracking half minute he had ever experienced. He wanted to make a good first impression,  _ of course he did,  _ but nevertheless found himself chewing on his shirt, a childhood habit he never managed to get rid of. Spitting it out, he looked around to make sure there were no cameras to see what he had done. Obviously, there was one. Good first start, Dipper. 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the elevator stopped and he tentatively stepped out. Exiting, the first thing he noticed was the sheer size of the floor he was on. It was comparatively bigger than about 2 football fields, and completely covered in white paneling. People ran about, in lab coats and attack dog padding alike, going from room to room, doing their jobs.Technology ran along the floor and walls, making the entire setting seem to be taken out of a movie or video game. Similar to Portal, to be exact. 

The second thing he noticed were the sounds. There were cries of different creatures around the area, but none were to be seen or were paid any attention to. Slowly walking into the large area, Dipper was quickly stopped by an intimidating man in a black suit. After looking down to a small watch like device on his wrist, he looked to Dipper once more. “Mason Pines?” Dipper flinched at his real name, but nodded anyways. “Come with me.” With those crisp words, the man walked away, leaving Dipper no choice but to follow.

The man lead him into a small room, seemingly an office, and asked him to sit and wait for the lead scientist to show. Another set of crisp instructions, another abrupt exit. Doing just that, Dipper listened back to the sounds, hearing ones that sounded familiar and others that not. Mumbling to himself the names and attributes of those he knew, and guessing the ones he didn’t, he passed the time with growing excitement at his newest job. He knew so many of the ones here already! Dreaming of how he could put his practical knowledge to use and become the lead scientist, he let his daydream get a little carried away. 

Suddenly, interrupting his nice dream of being interviewed for taming a dragon, the door opened and a man in a suit similar to the person who escorted him to the room walked in, a smile perfected over the years on his older face. “Well hello Mason! Sorry to keep you waiting, I was just checking up on your… project. I am Mr. Powers, your boss.” He stuck out a hand, and Dipper rose to shake it.

“Nice to meet you Mr. Powers. Don’t worry, sir, it’s no problem!” The man nodded and took a seat, gesturing for Dipper to do the same. Mr. Powers set his hands on the desk, looking Dipper in the eye. For a moment, Dipper was reminded of something from his childhood, a blast of nostalgia. He quickly smothered the thought. 

“Mason, do you know why you're here?” A strange way to start the conversation, but then again he was in Area 51.

“No, sir.” Mr. Powers nodded. 

“Well, son, it’s because you seem to have quite the understanding of the paranatural. Not many people have that. It’s because of this that we are putting you on our hardest project. “ Dipper perked up. “Don’t worry, you’ll have backup and it will be caged, but we want you to gather as much information on the beast as possible. We haven’t gotten much yet, and want to see what we can do with this. Understood?” Dipper nodded. “Great. Let’s give you the breakdown of this place and how it works.” Concluding the brief introduction, Mr. Powers stood up and gestured for Dipper to follow, leading him out of the room and back into the main one. A woman in a lab coat greets him, introducing herself as Sam. 

“Now Mason, Sam here will explain to you how this place works.” With that, he retreated back into his office, leaving Dipper and Sam alone. They begin to walk down a long corridor together, Sam glancing down at her wrist-contraption. She looks up at him, and smiled. 

“First day on the job?” Dipper laughed and ran a nervous hand through his hair. 

“Is it that obvious?” Chuckling, she shook her head. As they walked, Dipper takes note of the large amount of rooms containing a wide variety of creatures in them. It was sort of like a supernatural zoo.

“Not really. It’s just that we practically know everyone here. We get so few new people that seeing a new face is kinda a surprise.” Stopping, she gestured to a large set of doors. “These here lead to the control deck. From there we can see every pen and everything that goes on in it. Plus, it controls the auto-lockdown doors. In case anything decides to pull a stunt, we can lock down individual pens, or if it gets bad enough, the entire facility.” She throws him a wink. “But don’t worry, this place is an impenetrable fortress. Nothing goes in or out without our knowledge of it.” 

Turning away, she began to lead him down another corridor, this one full of lab settings rather than pens. “Down here is where the nitty-gritty work gets done. But, according to your files, you’re going to be a pen worker, so you don’t really need to worry about these guys here. Just know that they take the info gathered by workers like you and make everything safer. Improving containers, making fireproof suits, ensuring that creatures can be properly watched, that sort of thing. So if you ever have any recommendations for changes in the pens, go to them.” 

Continuing on, they begin down one last corridor, this one smaller than the rest. It seemed to be around six feet tall at maximum, and barely wide enough for them to walk side by side together. It makes many sharp turns, twisting on for a little while before they reach another set of large doors. Stopping here, she turned to Dipper. “These are the emergency exit doors. In case control center can’t lock down in time, or something really bad happens, we are supposed to exit here. These doors are to remain locked at all times, unless there is an actual emergency. I wanted to show you them, just in case.” They spend a few moments looking at the doors, before Sam clasps her hands together and gestures for him to go back down the hall. “Now that we have all that introductory stuff done, let’s get you to your pen!” 

Walking towards the back, they entered a large hallway, walking for a little while before coming to a large metal door. After inputting a code, Sam enters with Dipper following suit. The sight that greeted him was indescribable. There was a long observation room, with glass looking out at the containment room. In that room was quite possibly the most excessive thing Dipper had ever seen. In there was a creature, that much was gatherable, but no skin was to be seen, no living carcass showing under the massive amounts of technology holding the thing up. Tubes ran in and out, pumping mysterious liquids through it. No movement came from it, no sound, nothing. 

Dipper looked to Sam, confused. “Is… it alive?” Sam nodded, not looking at him. 

“All that is only to keep it contained. Without it, it’d break loose and raise hell.” She walked to a door next to the glass, inputting a code into a little panel. The door opened and he gestured for Dipper to enter. The rest of the scientists in the room that had been previously been going about their business quickly silenced, watching him. Slowly, he entered the room, looking up at the creature. Suddenly, the door closed behind him. Jumping, Dipper looks back to it, only to find no door, and no window. It was one sided. 

A speaker crackled, and Sam’s voice sounded out. “Okay, Mason. I’m going to let it talk to you. Only a little.” A fizzling noise sounded out, and the speaker was gone. Turning back to the creature, Dipper looked up yet again, jumping as several mechanical clicks sounded out. The creature groaned, moving in its cage. 

“Mason, I would like to introduce you to your project, Subject 00-3-39 MS9. Or what we folks in the pen call him, Bill”” 

The creature groaned again, struggling in its bonds, whipping its body about. Suddenly realizing it wasn’t alone, it turned it’s head to Dipper. He could feel the stare through the metal helmet encompassing its head, and just for a moment, Dipper thought he got into something a little too far over his head. 

It wasn’t too long until a voice sounded out in Dipper’s mind. 

‘ _ WHO ARE YOU?’ _


	2. [File:The_Introduction.2]

‘ _ WHO ARE YOU?’  _ The voice echoed about Dipper’s head, filling it with a feeling comparable to smoke. Dipper shot back, heart pounding in his chest. How could something speak to his mind? This was all just in his head, right? He hadn’t heard anything out loud, yet the voice still had made itself known. 

Was it a demon? Psychokinetic? Some sort of mind-monster? Whatever it was, he hadn’t encountered something like this before. Grunkle Ford, someone just as interested in the supernatural, had told him that he only encountered something like this once, a long time ago. It was so strong, so powerful, that he had a steel plate implanted into the skull of his head to protect him against it. Vaguely, Dipper wondered if this was the same thing. It surely felt like it. 

Feeling largely out of his element, Dipper took a deep breath. This was no time to panic, Pines. You're a man. You can do this. It’s being controlled and held down by a giant, metal, painful-looking contraption. It can’t hurt you. Calming himself, he looked up at it, preparing for it’s next move. But the creature just continued to look at him, and Dipper could feel the hatred and rage pouring off of it. See. Bonds. Can’t move. Duh. 

‘ _ I SAID, WHO ARE YOU!’  _ It didn’t sound like a question this time. If it could see into his mind, didn’t it already know his name? Maybe the metal contraption around it stopped more than just its movements.

Right. Show time. “Mason Pines.” He said, trying to put out all the confidence he didn’t have into his voice. The creature huffed, turning its head away from Dipper and stopped its struggling. Much against Dipper’s gut feeling, which was screaming at him to RUN RUN NOW YOU DUMB SHIT, he began to analyse the creature. 

It was huge, at least 15 feet tall. From what he could tell by the shape of the metal encasing it, it was humanoid in shape, mostly. It looked like it has a tail, seemed to stand with two hind legs, had arm like appendages hanging strapped at its sides, and an upright torso that led to a proportionally sized head all covered with the metal technology that help it restrained. Dipper couldn’t see any actual skin or physical flesh, so he had no real idea of the true physical properties it has. But what he did know so far was that it had some control of the mind, making it a formidable foe. For a moment, Dipper wasn’t very surprised to know that it had been a struggle to control this beast. It was intimidating, even encased in the protective armor. He wasn’t so sure he wanted to ever see it out of its metal casings. 

‘ _ So they’ve brought in another incredibly useless meatbag to test on me.’  _ It made something akin to a sigh, shaking Dipper out of his analyzing. Was it talking to itself? Capable of complicated thoughts and recognition, even if it had no noticeable way of seeing him. Maybe this was a part of its mind powers? Interesting. 

Bill turned to Dipper’s direction again, and this time, Dipper could feel the gaze burning into his skin right through the metal helmet on its head. Capable of emotions too, and strong ones at that. ‘ _Pines. You are meant to test on me. But I will not make it easy.’_ The statement rang through his mind as it menacingly leaned forward in its restraints, the metal around it creaking and groaning against the weight. The only thing Dipper could think of was a lion in a cage, with the knowledge that it could break out any time but chooses to stay put only to torture its captors. What had he gotten himself into?

‘ _ So hey there Pines, wanna hear a story, to get to know each other? A little introductory bit of knowledge? I love a good story and since it's your first day and all, I’m going to be nice and treat you to one.  _ _ Once, there was a meatsack named William. Nice man, I’d assume, knowing what you monsters are. He came into my cage one day, much like you did, and much like what you are about to do, he began to test on me. Performing all sorts of stupid and redundant tricks to please his masters, beginning to wear on my nerves. I grew tired of putting up with some annoying thorn in my side. You wanna know what I do when I don’t like something?’  _ Bill let out something that sounded like a gurgled laugh, similar to a drowned man laughing at his killers. ‘ _ I killed him. Spread his guts all over this room. Made him scream for the fleshsticks that created him, eyes bleeding, unable to think or function. I’m a master of the mind, kid. I can drive even the most mentally stable and strong willed creatures to its knees, insane. Don’t think, for one second, that you’re any different. Get on my nerves, and you’d make nice color on these walls just like ol’ WIlly boy was. ’  _ Having not only been threatened by death twice, but also scared shitless by the story Bill managed to weave in his head, Dipper decided enough was enough.

Slowly backing up, he began to make his way towards where he remembered the door being. Not once turning his eyes away from the encased creature, making sure that if it were to try and come at him, he would see it.

After what seemed like forever, he finally made it through the door. It closed, cutting off his tense staring contest with the creature. He turned around, suddenly aware of how hard his heart was pounding. Was he even breathing? He didn’t know anymore, all he could think of was how he had gotten way too far in over his head, and that he should have listened to Grunkle Ford when he said to go into biochemistry. That was a safe major, right?

“What… What was that?” Dipper asked, gasping.  

“That,” said Sam, “is your creature that you will be working on.” She gave Dipper a weary once-over, before gesturing to another man. “Richard, bring him his AniTech.” A scientist, presumably Richard, came forward and hesitantly gave Dipper one of the watches that he had seen everyone else wearing and using. Upon closer inspection, he found that it was not a watch, but was in fact a small computer-like object. Hesitantly, he put it on, looking up at Sam. “With that, you can keep track of all the data you discovered while observing Bill. Go ahead and put it on, and I’ll guide you through how it’s works.” 

Leading Dipper to a desk, she sat him down before sitting besides him. As they sat down the people around them, frozen in shock and surprise of the current events that had suddenly occurred, snapped out of it and went back to work, doing whatever they were doing previously. Dipper took a shuddering breath, trying to calm down his racing heart. That’s what he was going to be working on? An insane, sadistic, psychopathic, murdering monster? Oh man, did going back home to deal with those pesky, queen-crazy gnomes sound good right now. 

Sensing his inner-turmoil, Sam placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Mason, we’re here for you. Nothing will happen while you have us.” Dipper gave her a shaky smile and nodded. Deeming himself calm enough, he proceeded to ask her about the AniTech. She smiled, nodding. Going on about the ins and outs of the AniTech, Sam showed Dipper the controls and settings, helping him understand the tech. It had all the technology of a modern computer, but put into a convenient wrist-worn contraption. Connected to Area 51’s database, it has the data on any and every creature that had been studied there from when it was first captured to the end of its existence. Really, it was pretty neat. As far as compromises go, having to work with a giant, psychopathic beast to gain access to the data of every known mythical creature was a decently nice trade. Not the best, but pretty good.

On top of all that really cool and handy stuff, it had the controls to the pen Bill was in. Now he could keep track of his movements, know more about Bill’s mind abilities, and overall be aware of the state he currently is in. Along with this, the AniTech could rearrange the inner design of the pen, creating new obstacles around the room, if it was necessary for the tests. It had the schematics to the whole facility in it, allowing him to open locked doors and check in on creatures even it they were nearly a mile away from where he was. Basically, he had control of the entire facility’s workings. 

“But,” warned Sam, “these controls and orders go through the main deck. If you notice lag, that’s simply the higher-ups checking your order. It to make sure nothing unnecessary or suspicious goes on around here. So make sure you only use these controls and ability when you actually need to.” Continuing her explanation, she told him that through this device, he had a connections to all the people in Area 51 too. So, for example, if he needed a change in Bill’s equipment, he could just send a request to the labs and they’d get it done. The AniTech basically had the functions of a remote, cell phone, and computer all put together into a small,handy, wrist-fitting contraption.

“And that’s about it.” Rising, Sam looked Dipper in the eyes. “Just Mason, let me tell you this now. This place is crazy. It’ll mess with your head, with your morals, with your personality. Try to always remember why you’re here and don’t forget who you are” Then she left, leaving him in silence. Was everyone at this crazy place full of riddles and strange advice, or was this some confuse the  newbie kind-of thing? Either way, Dipper had his fill of it for one day.

Standing up, Dipper began his walk out of the facility. Thinking back on Sam’s words, he wonders what had led him to where he was now. “What am I here for?” He mumbled to himself as he reached the elevator. Shaking his head, it occurred to him that he felt even more lost and scared about his new job now than he did when he first arrived there for the day. 


	3. [File:The_Test.3]

It seemed as if  Mr. Powers decided to scare Dipper away as fast as possible, for the next day he requested his first test on Bill to be done. 

Looking down at his AniTech, Dipper let out a huge sigh as he read over the message for the ump-teenth time. 

_ Mason Pines,  _

_ As of [insert current date here] it is required of you to begin your testing on subject  _ **_[Subject 00-3-39-MS9] “Bill”_ ** _. We would like for you to conduct the following test.  _

_ File: [New_Test.01] _

_ Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,  _

_ -Mr. Powers, Head of Abnormal Creature Studies _

_ Open file: [New_Test.01] _

Looking from the device to Bill, Dipper let out yet another sigh. The test wasn’t too… complicated, but going right off the bat with a test like this was not his idea of a good way to start off a new job. Either way, Mr. Powers didn’t seem to leave much room for opposition, and so Dipper was left between a rock and some psychopathic creature that apparently killed a man. What was he going to tell Mabel?

Approaching the keypad to the entrance, Dipper noticed something seemed different from previous day. He was so sure that when he had last entered the room that Bill was facing him. Turning to the other scientists, he called out, “Was Bill always facing the back wall? I swear that yesterday he was facing the glass.” One of the scientists approached him, one that he learned yesterday was named Pauleen. Stopping right beside Dipper she looked at Bill, ignoring the question and simply looking out at the huge mass of metal wiring. After a while of just looking tiredly out at Bill, she sighs, turning to face Dipper. 

“He’s really dangerous Mason.” Eyes widening, Dipper nodded. “I mean it when I say,  _ really  _ dangerous.” She stressed, looking him in the eyes. “Be careful in there. You’re fresh, new meat to him. You haven’t even been through the basic training… We don’t need another case like…” It went unsaid. Bill’s name was reminder enough. “To keep him from focusing, we keep the room constantly spinning, changing directions at random intervals. He doesn’t know. The helmet,” she motions to his head with a fist, “keeps everything in.” 

Confused, Dipper looks at her, arching a brow. “Everything?” He questioned. 

“Bill’s powers come from the mind. Yesterday, when you went in and talked to him, did you notice him make any noise?” Dipper shook his head. “Exactly. He communicates with some sort of telepathic voice. His real body doesn’t even have a mouth.” Dipper looked at her incredulously.

“Really? How does it-he, eat?” 

“I have no idea. His body is really weird. He has really long arms, and legs that look like they were put on backwards. We’re not sure about the rest of his kind, but he looks all skeletal. Like a rotting corpse, with his skin hanging off the bones. And get this? His actual head is a giant triangle with an eye in the middle.”

“A… triangle. With an eye. In the middle. Nothing else?” The response was a head shake. “Really? How could something with a triangle for a head can be considered a threat?” Pauleen shuddered. How could it indeed?

_ Pauleen had always loved Area 51. Waking up everyday to work with creatures from her childhood was the best thing she could have ever asked for, and then some. Everyday she would work with the other scientists in the pens with creatures like unicorns, gryphons, kelpies, and other friendly animals. It was like being in a dream. After a while, she began to work with bigger creatures, such as manticores and sea serpents. Slowly but surely she made her way up the totem pole, and she enjoyed every minute of it. So, when she heard that she was being moved to a new creature, one never seen before by any of the scientists at Area 51, to say she was ecstatic would be an understatement.  _

_ So, one fine morning, she made her way down the twisting halls towards the heavier units, used for more rowdy creatures. As she progressed, the pens slowly turned from the open zoo like areas she was used to, into these large, secluded, bland, heavily armored boxes. Despite what she had heard from the workers of these pens, Pauleen felt each step she took get faster and faster, until she was practically running to the pen at the end of the hall- the pen that no creature had even been in before now.  _

_ When she entered the outside area, she was greeted by scientists she had met only a few times before.Overall, it seemed to be a ragtag group of workers. William, a scientist that worked in the heavy pens, Geoff, a mechanic that often worked in the labs, and Sam, one of the overhead workers. After exchanging greetings and introductions, Sam sat them down and began to explain their task.  _

_ “Alright, so you three have been asked to come here for a very special task. We have recently captured a new creature that hasn’t been too cooperative with the scientists working on it. So, we’ve gotten all of you together as a specialized team to work on him.” The three exchanged looks, every one looking excited and ready to go. Sam took in the enthusiasm with stride, and stood up, the others following suit. “Alright, as far as assignments go. William, you will be the one doing the test on the creature. Pauleen, you are to be aiding William in this process. Geoff, you’re in charge of controlling the room and the mechanics. If the three of you do this right, this could go down in the books as the best test to have ever been done in Area 51.”  _

_ It had started out well. Amazing, even. William had grabbed the needle to draw a sample of blood, the first of many tests to come. Pauleen was to help bandage the wound once William was done, and to ensure that the new creature would be okay in its pen. After all, they didn’t know what it was, where it came from, or what it needed to survive.  _

_ William practically ran into the room, syringe in one hand, the other raised in excitement. Pauleen followed close behind, eager to see what the creature would look like. What she found, however, wasn’t what she expected. The creature was tall, towering over her and William easily. It stood on  two legs, both oddly bent, somehow holding up a skeletal body with massive clawed hands. As her gaze rose up the creature, she saw little black bricks marring its yellow skin, making it seem like something from Egyptian mythology, or a pyramid at the very least. But that wasn’t all. At the top of the disgusting thing was one, all seeing eye. It looked down at them with that one eye, framed by a triangle head. It glared at them, a snarl ripping itself from its throat. Pauleen took a step back, making her way back to the door, and to safety. She had worked with many creatures in her time at Area 51, but none of them seemed to hold the intelligence, the raw power, the completely overwhelming hatred that this one did. It didn’t feel right to be in the same room as it.  _

_ William, however, didn’t seem to have any problems approaching the thing. The closer he got, the more the snarl rose in volume and force, yet the creature stayed stone still.  _

_ “William,” Geoff’s voice sounded out from the comms, “I wouldn’t go on if I were you. It seems to be pretty upset.” But William just waved his free hand flippantly.  _

_ “Don’t worry, I got this. It won’t hurt me.” He said it with such confidence that they had to believe him, even though this massive creature seemed to be ready to strike at any moment. With each step he took, the tension in the room grew, reaching its peak when he finally stopped before it. He spoke to it, softly, quietly enough that it wasn’t picked up by the mics in the room, much less the average person. _

_ It was then that he jabbed the needle into the back of its hand, wrenching a horrible, twisted, pained cry from the beast. It raised a clawed hand, poised to strike. Pauleen stood there, unable to move, unable to help, unable to think as it brought the large hand down, William’s blood splattered across her face, the pained shriek-   _

Slowly reaching out, Dipper took Pauleen’s quivering hands in his own. “Hey… Don’t worry Pauleen, I’ll be safe. I’m the specialist after all, right? Got called in specifically for this job?” Coming back to the present, Pauleen gave a small nod. “Then I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” He offered her a smile, which only grew when she returned it with her own shaky one. It only took a moment for her to say something again. 

“You have your first test today.” Dipper nodded solemnly. “We got the file too. You’re the only one who has to actively be in the pen.” Dipper nodded again. “Don’t worry, we’ll keep an eye on you.” Pauleen smiled again. “Can’t have Bill get a last name so soon, huh?” Smiling back, Dipper nodded. 

“Yeah. Let’s get this over with.” And with that, he went to the door that led into Bill’s container, tapping in the code and entering. Looking up, yet again, at the massive amount of metal and wires that contained the seemingly god-like creature, Dipper felt what could only be described as the sudden realization that there is no god. “Because,” Dipper mumbled as he slowly walked towards Bill, “God wouldn’t allow something like this to roam the earth.” 

Continuing forward, Dipper looked down to his AniTech, checking the vitals on Bill. With everything in check, he slowly began lowering the “Limiter” levels on Bill, only to the designated level though. With the levels lowering, Bill slowly began thrashing about as he did yesterday. Taking a nervous glance down at the AniTech to make sure that Bill was securely trapped, Dipper took a deep breath in preparation for what would come next. 

‘ _ Well lookie at what we have here! Pine Tree is back!’  _ Bill’s voice was booming in his head, making Dipper want to dial up the controls on him, just to be safe. Deciding not to, he chose to stay at the Base Designated Guideline for the experiment that was set up by the file sent to him. 

Trying not to seem phased, Dipper called back, “Pine Tree? Where’d that come from?” 

Bill let out another signature “laugh” at that, making Dipper flinch in the process. ‘ _ Gee, Pine Tree, have you never been outside before?”  _ Dipper suddenly felt a pushing at the side of his head, as if someone were taking a finger and poking it. ‘ _ No, no, you have. Piedmont California sure has some pretty scenery, doesn’t it Pine Tree?’  _ Jumping back, Dipper looked up in horror. Bill, however, just laughed at that. ‘ _ What? Never dealt with a master of the mind before?’  _

The intercom buzzed, and a voice sounded out over the room, “Ignore him, Mason, continue with the test.” 

Taking a deep breath, Dipper turned down to his AniTech yet again, beginning to pull up the coding for the next step. 

‘ _ They don’t know you go by Dipper yet? Oh boy that sure is sad, Pine Tree. Ya hear that, flesh bags? This little meatbag likes to be called Dipper! Or Pine Tree! Or, ooh now isn’t this juicy-’  _ Bill was cut off as Dipper finished entering the first string of coding, the metal about him reacting to it. It shifted and groaned, moving Bill this way and that, not once showing any bit of living tissue. Eventually, Bill ended up on the ground, “feet” solidly planted on the white tile flooring below. Looking at him, Dipper was surprised to notice that Bill was only a foot or two taller with that. Gaining courage with that fact, Dipper went ahead, programming his next string of coding. The voice on the intercom sounded out yet again. 

“Uh, Mason, I wouldn’t stand too-” They were cut out by the large clashing and clanging coming from the machinery holding Bill. Bill let out a scream, and Dipper could tell it wasn’t from fear. He was dimly aware of someone actually speaking in his ear, but it didn’t matter. Nothing really mattered anymore, nothing but the pained voice in his head, screaming for his reasons behind his actions. He didn’t know. What had he done? Did it hurt Bill? Was he meant to do that, to shape shift? Looking down to the AniTech and the coding on it, he confirmed the word “lion” was in the coding. But that didn’t explain if Bill was physically able to shapeshift, or if it was just the mechanics and the tubes running from his body around him. 

Bill’s body had contorted into what Dipper would assume was a lion. Laboured breaths came from beneath the metal, Bill trying to collect himself from the pain of the shift. ‘ _ Pinetree, oh pinetree, why-’  _ Bill’s moans were cut off by the overhead speaker crackling loudly. 

“Ignore him Mason, you did a great job with the first part! Keep going!” To put any creature in pain was against Dipper’s morals, no matter who they killed. But… he couldn’t disobey, could he? No. He couldn’t give up the job of his dreams, the chance to help thousands, for some crazy, murdering creature. 

He plugged in the second code. 

Bill began to shrink again, the code for “dog” present this time. His pained screams filled the air again, wails and groans reverberating about the small enclosure. Dipper had half a mind to cover his ears to block out this terrible sound, but he wasn’t done. Not yet. ‘ _ Pinetree, Dipper, stop stop, if you have any common decency stop, oh gods above it hurts-’ _

“Shut up Bill.” With that, the final code was placed in. The screams sounded like they were pulled straight out of hell, the pained cries of the damned filling the air around him. But sacrifices must be made in the name of the common good, right? Right? At least, that’s what he wanted to believe while Bill’s pained wails assaulted his ears. 

By the time the shifting was done, Bill was openly sobbing. He had shrunk to about one foot tall, in the form of a small lemur, only an eighth of his original height.  _ ‘Why, why, why did you do this to me? It hurts… Do you know the pain you put me through with these games of yours? Do you know just what you are doing to the creatures behind these walls? I hear their screams, hear their pleas. What did you do? What have you done?’ _ Having had enough of Bill’s ramblings, Dipper made sure he had the information that he needed, then left the room. Once he was out, people clapped him on the back, congratulating him on a successful test. But Bill’s words still echoed in his head, accompanied by the sound of Bill’s screams of pain. 

Full of guilt and horror, Dipper left work for the day. What had he done? At this point, Dipper didn’t know either. 


	4. [File:The_Realization.4]

Returning to work the next day was… difficult for Dipper. The weight of all his unanswered questions buried him, suffocating him with doubt. Everything seemed to revolve around Bill. What was he? Where did he come from? What exactly was the William incident? What did he do? It all spun about in his head, making him feel horribly nauseous. When Mabel had commented on his lack of attentiveness, his response was only “work.” Is that what his life has become? Would he become like Pauleen, unable to sleep due to the monster that haunted her nightmares? The demon that was Bill? After only two days on the job, Dipper was beginning to think so. 

Entering the room beside Bill’s, Dipper sat down at one of the provided chairs, opening up his AniTech and checking for messages. When he first got here, it was one of the key things Sam told him about his AniTech. Check it daily to find your assignment, at least in the beginning of your job. So he checked it, tapping away at the little screen. Finding one from Mr. Powers, Dipper took a deep breath and steeled himself before opening it. 

_ Mason Pines,  _

_ After yesterday’s reported incident, today you will be running the following test;  _

_ File: [Test_Communication_Ground1] _

_ You should find the following test adequate and appropriate for the outcome of yesterday’s experiment.  _

_ -Mr. Powers, Head of Abnormal Creature Studies _

_ Open File: [Test_Communication_Ground1] _

Looking at the file, Dipper found nothing but a few pages on how to communicate with the mythological and the instructions “Communicate. Learn information. Record.” Skimming the entire thing, Dipper confirmed that the only instructions were those. Looking about the room, he spots Sam again. Smiling, he waved a hand at her. 

“Good morning Sam!” He offered her a small smile. “Would you mind doing me a favor?” Nodding eagerly, she smiled at him. 

“Of course dear, what do you need?” Dipper showed her the file on his AniTech. 

“What does this mean?” Sam looked it over before her smile widened. 

“Oh boy, Mason, you got it easy today! They’re just asking you to talk to Bill!” She grasped his shoulder, giving it a shake. Dipper’s eyes widened, and he looked up at her in shock. 

“Really? After this rapid fire method of ‘throw him in and let's see what he does’, they’re letting me just talk to him?” Dipper sighed in relief. “Thank god.” Sam smiled at him, patting his shoulder. 

“Yeah! Just get a tid bit of information, a fact or two, then you’re free to go! And all you need to do is lower the levels of control, nothing else with that death contraption.” Walking to the door, Pauleen gestures to the room. Bill was facing the right corner today. “Get in there so you can get out asap!” Dipper rose up, walking besides Sam. 

“Let’s do this.” Entering the code, Dipper steeled himself for the experiment to come. Too soon, the door opened, and he walked in, hearing the metal close and lock behind him. He opened the program controlling Bill’s containments, and slowly, ever so slowly, lowered the one prohibiting his speech. 

‘ _Well well well, look who’s back. Hiya there Pine Tree!’_ Bill made no attempts to move. Could he even try? ‘ _Got any more fun tests today? I_ ** _loved_** _yesterdays!’_ Dipper could feel the dripping hatred laced in his words, ‘ _Pain is hilarious!’_ Ah. So it did put him through pain. Opening up a blank sheet on his AniTech, he scribbled the information down. ‘ _Writing? Oh, so this must be one of those ‘we just tortured the new guy, let’s try to repair the situation’ tests. I love those tests. Easy for me!’_ Dipper just sighed, and with a moment's thought, sat down on the ground in front of Bill. ‘ _So Pine Tree, whatcha have in store for me today? Come on, lay em on me! Like I told ya earlier, I love storytelling.’_ Noted. ‘ _It’ll be fun to come up with answers to any question you got!’_ Dipper frowned, glancing down to the AniTech. If he was going to lie, what was the point? ‘ _Point is, Pine Tree, you get some quality time with yours truly!’_ Dipper looked up at Bill in shock. Right. Telepathy. 

“So… Bill. Can I call you Bill?” He didn’t quite expect an answer, but with Bill, no one can know the answer.  

‘ _ Sure Pine Tree. I’m calling  _ **_you_ ** _ Pine Tree after all, let's keep the nickname game going!’  _ Bill was not its real name. Noted. ‘ _ Well of course it’s not my real name! You name me after a guy I slaughtered and you think it’s my real one? Ha! That’d be some good guessing. Ooh, speaking of guessing, you wanna play a guessing game?’  _ Dipper paused for a moment before shaking his head, only to realize that he couldn’t see. ‘ _ Don’t worry, Pine Tree, I got the gesture.’  _ Okay then. 

“Okay… So Bill…” He raked through his mind for a question. 

‘ _ Don’t expect much of an answer. I’m not going to give you anything. Not with those cameras and mics planted about the room.’  _ Dipper frowned, before coming up with an idea. Opening up the program on his AniTech, he went in, cutting off the room’s cameras and mics. ‘ _ Pine Tree, wha-’  _

“You said you wouldn’t answer any questions with the mics and cameras on. So I turned them off.” He even went to the extent of shutting down his AniTech. “See, now you don’t have to worry.”

‘ _ You know they wouldn’t know if I were to escape and hurt you.’  _ Dipper’s eyes widened. He hadn’t thought of that. But Bill’s containments were still up and running, so he wouldn’t have to worry. ‘ _ You’re right, Pine Tree, but you should be more careful next time. You might end up like William.’  _ Dipper could hear the joy in his voice. 

“Okay, let’s not talk about William. How about this?  You tell me about your home and I’ll tell you about mine. Deal?” Silence. Dipper, for a moment, thought Bill didn’t hear him before he heard a laugh. 

‘ _ Well Pine Tree you drive a hard bargain! But sure, I’ll do it, but only if you go first.’  _ Dipper sighed, and after a moment, agreed to it. 

“Okay… So what do you want to know? Want to start small?” 

‘ _ Sure, why not. Since we know each other's “names”, adknowledge the quotes around names, why don’t we start off with where we live? I already know that you live in Piedmont, but humor me.’  _

“Okay.. So I come from Piedmont, California. It isn’t too far from here, which is nice. But I currently live in a small shack, called the Mystery Shack, that’s in a nice little spot called Gravity Falls. It’s surrounded in mystery, a whole bunch of mythical animals living around there. Unicorns, dragons, gremgoblins, gnomes, gryphons, you name it I’ve most likely encountered it. Me and my sister used to go there every summer to hang out with our Grunkles, but after a while we decided to just move in and help with the shack. To keep up funds, I decided to get a job. Long story short, I got contacted by these guys and now I’m here.” Dipper blinked, realizing he revealed a bit more then asked, then shrugged it off. “Now it’s your turn.” Bill took a moment to process the information, letting out a hum as he sorted through what he just learned. 

‘ _ What a fine backstory you got there, Pine Tree! I gotta say, it’s a lot more fun than mine!’  _ Dipper perked up at the possibility of information. 

“Really? How so?” When Bill didn’t reply, he thought he had not heard him, but that changed when he dived head first into a story of his own. 

‘ _ I was born thousands of years ago, in a time very different from this one. I suppose you’d call it the peak of the Egyptian empire. I was born into a poor family, we had little to no money. With that, we had to work. I was the youngest child, the 13th. Ironic, I know. We were forced into hard labor no one else would do for half the pay. We worked all day to have basically nothing to eat at night. I knew I had to rise above somehow, so I placed my hopes on a war. And lo and behold, my wishes came true, for I was able to join the army and serve. I was ruthless, a killing machine. I soon rose up the ranks. Each night my family had more and more to put on the table, more and more money to spend on luxuries. It was beautiful. Eventually, I had myself a large following of loyal soldiers, willing to die for me, for they knew that I was from the slums, rose from the bottom to the top and could rise higher. And that’s what I did. I took my following and overthrew the Pharaoh, becoming ruler. My family would have to struggle no longer. I was the king. I was a god. But not really. Soon, I was tired of my power. I thirsted for more. So I summoned a demon, made a deal, allowing myself to become one as well. With my family on the throne and me with unlimited power, we were unstoppable. They made shrines of me, my demonic form. You know the pyramids? Yeah, those were after me. Take a look at my head, I dare you, take off this mask and gaze upon what true power looks like. With me, the Egyptian empire would last forever.’  _ Dipper was left in awe, staring up at the apparent demon hanging above him. ‘ _ That’s why, dear Pine Tree, your government is run by Egyptian snake people. We lived on forever! HAHA!’  _ Dipper suddenly blanched, realizing that not a word uttered by Bill was true. ‘ _ What gave you that impression sweetheart? Was it the 13th child, war, or demon?’  _ With Bill laughing in the background, Dipper stood up, frowning. 

“I should have known you wouldn’t have told me anything.” With that, Dipper turned back on his AniTech. Looking at the time, he saw that an hour had passed. Opening up his old document, Dipper wrote down one thing; 

_ -Bill is a huge dick.  _

**Author's Note:**

> So I reposted it because it said that this stupid fic was started in 2015 and I mean it was but like how's that gonna look to readers trying to find a good fic to read? Not good. Also I didn't want to go back and delete the comments from chapters not yet rewritten so... I've reposted, nothings changed just getting a fresh start.


End file.
